84 BALD EAGLE— WHITE-HEADED EAGLE. 



cepted by one of the Eagles, while the other made repeated and 

 fierce stoops at it from above. The Fish Hawk, however, still 

 held on firmly to its prize, and made repeated attempts to baffle 

 the onsets of the Eagle, in many of which it was successful. Before 

 long both birds had risen to a great height — the one alternatingly 

 surmounting the other ; but we could still detect every now and 

 then the gleam of the fish in the sunlight. Suddenly, the Fish 

 Hawk was seen to descend with great velocity towards the water, 

 and we thought the poor bird had been struck, and perhaps mor- 

 tally wounded. It, however, as suddenly checked its downward 

 course, and the Eagle which had as quickly followed it, shot past 

 and far below it ; and now once more the pursued bird made 

 straight for its nesting site, but again was intercepted by the 

 other Eagle, which made desperate by the protractedness of the 

 chase, struck fiercely at it with piercing screams. Baffled on every 

 side, wearied and blinded with the repeated buff"ettings of the 

 Eagles, the Fish Hawk, with a scream of rage, let go its prize, 

 which fell head long towards the water. This one of the Eagles 

 as quickly followed, and, getting below it, turned upon his back 

 and caught it in mid-air. Both birds then flew off with shrieks of 

 delight with their ill-gotten booty. 



Not always, however, is the Bald Eagle thus triumphant in the 

 chase, and many a time have I seen the Fish Hawk far outstrip 

 him in flight, and carry her prize off in safety. On. such occasions 

 the fury of the Eagle has no bounds, and he continues on the 

 wing for hours, all the while screaming with rage. 



Although fond of fish, the Bald Eagle has many other tastes, 

 and these he satisfies as occasion serves. From what I have seen 

 of him myself, and from what I have heard from others, I believe 

 that he will devour anything which can be eaten, and this whether 

 living or dead ; a tom-cat, however — such as we described in the 

 preceding article as forming the repast of a Golden Eagle — would 

 be altogether too much for the Bald Eagle, for he is an arrant 

 coward. Weak and sickly animals he will at once attack, and 

 vulture-like, gouge out their eyes. Rotten fish and animals he 



